Minnesota MMJ Company Delays Opening More Dispensaries

Published
September 4, 2015

Minnesota Medical Solutions, one of just two companies licensed in the state to produce and sell medical cannabis, announced this week that it’s delaying opening its final two dispensaries until the spring because of low patient numbers.

The company, also known as MinnMed, has so far opened two of its four locations allowed under state law, one in Rochester and one in Minneapolis.

But the state’s lower-than-expected patient count, which stood at just 395 as of last week, means that the cost of opening more dispensaries is prohibitive, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported.

The company had originally planned to open its final two dispensaries – one in Moorhead and the other in Eden Prairie – this fall.

The low patient count has been an ongoing issue since MinnMed opened the state’s first dispensary on July 1, when there were just 65 registered patients. While the number of patients has grown over the past two months, it hasn’t met expectations.

The other Minnesota MMJ producer, Leafline Labs, is on track to open its second location in October or November in St. Cloud, the Star Tribune reported, along with its third and fourth locations next year.

Under state law, the two companies must have all eight locations open by next July.